String Tees - how do I know if I need them??

I just finished assembling my tele project this afternoon. Older Warmoth body that came with hardware and a new Warmoth neck I ordered a few weeks ago. I'm using Sperzels with the different height holes and haven't installed the T's I have for it. It plays and sounds great!! So, do I really need the T's??

Got an early 80's strat and one day decided to do the extra windings on the strings to lower them and just not use the string trees, the guitar definately plays better and seems to sound better (could be my imagination)

Well, I just put it through its paces at rehearsal. No problems with the strings. It sounded incredible, but I found that the Van Zandt tele br pup feeds back too easily. I play at fairly high gain a lot of the time and pretty loud (mandatory 15 db plugs). It was squealing like none of my other guitars in the same setting. So, I guess I'll be on a bridge pup hunt.

Thanks for the perspectives, guys. From what I heard tonite, I don't seem to need Ts. Probably the staggered Sperzels helped.

Actually I do think you almost always need one on the top two strings, even with staggered-height posts. I think the strings lose tone before the point they start to audibly rattle.

I also find the G a problem with a normal set of staggered posts, so my solution is to use one string tree and re-order the heads so the G is the lowest one, then the top E, D, B, A, low E in that order.

That gives pretty much exactly equal break angle over the nut on all the strings, if you set the string tree right, and if you lube it slightly it doesn't cause tuning trouble.

Notice how I've fitted the string tree so it 'splits the angle' on the strings, which helps stop it catching at the edges.

FWIW, I find a lubed traditional 'butterfly' string tree set at the right angle works better than any of the fancy point-contact, roller or graphite ones.

John, I really like your approach there. As I'm gonna change pups sooner than later, that'll be a good time to switch the Sperzels and put the tree on. Seems like a lot of trees are mounted closer to the third tuner but yours is up by the 5th tuner. I guess this is just to approximate the same angle for all the strings, huh?